John McConnell (1818-98) came to Crockett from Ireland in 1847 and opened a blacksmith shop at this site. Later, with his sons, he moved to another location and started a hardware business. An active civic leader, McConnell served as County Treasurer and as City Alderman. His son Robert Emmett McConnell (1867-1918), who built a home at this site in 1901, continued his father's business and also served prominently in local government. As a member of the City Council in the early 1900s, he was an effective leader during a period of dramatic growth and change for Crockett. (1981)